Rewriting the slope estimation code turned into quite a shit storm of coordinates and indices, so it took me most of Wed. and Thurs. to write it and test everything. To answer the questions from before:

(1) The slope algorithm runs at 100 Hz as written for an array of 10x10 sub-apertures and an image around 220x220px. The image actually needs to be slightly larger since each sub-aperature isn't exactly 22 pixels wide (something I need to fix later). Suspiciously all three control processes: sending commands, reading a WFS image and processing the slope, top out around the same speed. The slope script can be sped up to around 300 Hz if I pass in the file containing the lenselet coordinates rather than load them each iteration (TURBO MODE!).

(2) Currently with a 10x10 sub-aperature WFS image, the whole process runs around 50 Hz. The strange thing is that the speeds aren't consistent with simply adding the speeds for individual processes. For example sending a DM command and just reading an image occurs at around 100 Hz, even though that is approximately the individual speed for each of those. Adding the slope finding script knocks this down to 50 Hz. Using turbo mode on the slopes causes the DM command script to hang (at fwrite).

(3) 50 Hz is probably sufficient for now, and reducing the shutter further doesn't result in much faster frame rates. The issue now is going to be alignment since a 220x220 px square is less than 2mm^2. Pushing to faster frame rates would mean even smaller beam sizes.

(4) Its probably possible to work with the current laser, but we have some equipment money to use so a new laser is probably in the cards.

I'll be out Mon and Tues taking advantage of my strict grad student schedule. The goal for next week is to have the beam resized with the current laser (probably minus the target splitter), and run the classical controller at 50 Hz. If possible I'd also like to look at the actuator dynamics with this faster WFS frame rate.

Word.